Digital skills development number one economic recovery policy

The digital economy appears to be the single most promising means to ease countries out of the recession and create new jobs, found a new report.

However, many workers in several countries, including Canada, lack the basic digital skills to effectively and efficiently contribute to the digital economy, found the report, published by WDM Consultants in Montreal and funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

Therefore, digital skills development is currently the number one economic recovery policy in the majority of countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Almost all developed countries have implemented, or are in the process of implementing a digital economic strategy, found the report. And their framework for digital skills development includes four skills clusters: foundational skills, transversal skills, technical skills and digital information processing skills.

The prosperity from the digital economy will depend on the contribution of all workers in general, found the report.